Proposed
by savvyliterate
Summary: [COMPLETE] SPOILERS FOR EP. 132 A cultural misunderstanding and a bit of teasing goes a bit too far for Inuyasha and Kagome.


"Proposed"  
  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Inuyasha" is not mine, but belongs to Takahashi Rumiko-san. Warning - this little fic contains HEAVY spoilers for episode 132. If you do not wish to be spoiled, stop right now at the disclaimer.  
  
*****  
  
"Ah! He proposed!"  
  
"Huh? What pose?"  
  
- Kagome and Inuyasha, reacting to Miroku's proposal to Sango in episode 132, "The Most Dangerous Confession of the Monk, Miroku."  
  
*****  
  
Kagome floated through the rest of the evening, feeling she was the one getting married instead of Sango. She was so excited that both the monk and the taijya had finally come to their senses. She even grabbed a sheet of notebook paper and started scribbling down lists of items to haul through the well for the ceremony. They could keep stuff at Kaede's until the event happened, she decided. Suddenly, she was filled with the urge to go kick Naraku's butt as swiftly as possible. The last thought sounded so much like something Inuyasha would say that she dissolved into giggles.  
  
She glanced up, saw Inuyasha staring at the fire with a serious expression. Her smile died. He'd shown almost a casual indifference to one of the most miracolous things they'd ever witnessed.  
  
Shippo had fallen asleep early and Miroku and Sango were still spending time together. She scooted closer to Inuyasha, tried her best to wonder what was going through his head. He was probably thinking about Naraku, knowing him. She admired his restraint at not needling the group to get going right away. He seemed to respect the need for privacy their friends wanted at the moment.  
  
Or maybe...Kagome's heart beat faster. Maybe he was thinking about Kikyo. Idiot Kagome, of course he was, she chided herself. Miroku and Sango were getting to do what they never did. Sadness, along with a very small pang of jealously filled her. Maybe she could get him to talk about it. She'd be sadder, but maybe he'd feel better.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
She stared at him, braced herself for the conversation and the pain it would bring. "Hmmm?"  
  
"What pose were you talking about?"  
  
"Huh?" Kagome blinked. "Pose?"  
  
"Yeah. When Miroku was talking to Sango earlier. You mentioned something about a pose."  
  
"Pose...pose...proposed?" Kagome sighed and ground her teeth together. It figured. She was going out of her mind, think Inuyasha was mourning Kikyo and instead he was bemoaning a term he never heard before. She propped her chin on her knees. "Proposed. It means Miroku-sama asked Sango-chan to marry him. That's how things work you know. You meet someone, fall in love, propose to them and get married."  
  
"Keh. Your time's strange." Inuyasha picked up a stick and poked it at the fire.  
  
"Well...don't people propose here?"  
  
"It depends. Most women are promised to other men before they're weaned. Folks like in Kaede-baba's village have an understanding."  
  
"What sort of understanding?"  
  
"Well, if you want to live with someone, you simply just spend the night with them. If your family hasn't come and killed the groom by morning, you live together as man and wife."  
  
"Spend the night?" Kagome pictured the nights where everyone slept in the same hut or close to the fire. "You don't mean..."  
  
"Keh! Don't be an idiot, Kagome. There wasn't much sleeping involved." His cheeks were scarlet.  
  
So were hers. "I...I know that. It's just...it's not right."  
  
"It's practical. Not everything's fancy like in your time."  
  
"But every woman deserves romance in her life." Kagome jumped to her feet. "She longs for the time when a man will come to her, bending on one knee." She sank down onto one knee, facing Inuyasha. "Then he looks into her eyes, professes his love for her and asks, 'Will you marry me?'"  
  
His gaze intensified and his eyes raked her from head to foot. A smirk slowly spread. "Are you asking me to marry you?"  
  
Kagome glanced down and saw what she done. She shrieked and lept back up. "Of course not...of course not! It doesn't count unless you...I mean, the man, is the one asking! Besides, he needs an engagement ring to make it official."  
  
"A what ring?"  
  
"En-gage-ment ring. Proof that the woman is promised to another man. Then when they marry, they both wear wedding rings to show the world they are bonded."  
  
"Keh. Like this stupid rosary." Inuyasha lifted the string of beads. "I'm bound to you with this thing and that stupid 'osuwari.'"  
  
"Mou...it's different!" Kagome flopped back on the ground and pushed her hair out of her eyes.  
  
"No it's not. You just asked me to marry you and I'm wearing something that binds me to you. Therefore, we must be engaged." Inuyasha teased her, enjoying the rare chance to fluster her and actually get away with it.  
  
"No, no, no, no, no!" Kagome shook her head rapidly.  
  
"Huh?" Shippo muttered sleepily, sitting up from where he was snuggled into Kagome's bedroll. The kitsune rubbed his eyes. "Are you and Inuyasha getting married, Kagome?"  
  
"No! Tell him, Inuyasha, please!" Kagome pleaded.  
  
"You're getting married?" Sango's pleased voice came through the darkness. She and Miroku stepped back into the camp, arm in arm. "I guess you're right, Houshi-sama. We did inspire Inuyasha to do something after all."  
  
"This will be a most joyous occasion," Miroku agreed. "It's about time you came to your senses, Inuyasha."  
  
The mirth disappeared from the hanyou's eyes, realizing he'd taken the joke too far. "Hey wait, Miroku! Kagome and I aren't getting married."  
  
"But I heard them!" Shippo protested. "Kagome asked him to marry her and said something about a ring and being bound. Inuyasha said he was bound to Kagome by the rosary so they must be engaged."  
  
"No!" Kagome and Inuyasha screamed at him.  
  
"You are bound to Kagome-chan, Inuyasha," Sango pointed out.  
  
"It's not like that at all!"  
  
"This is all your fault!" Kagome yelled at him. She backed up a step when she saw the anger flashing in his eyes, and knew she'd taken things too far herself. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her through the bushes until they were out of sight of their friends.  
  
She'd had enough. When they stopped, she whirled around to face him, prepared to do battle. "Inuyasha...osuwa..."  
  
He growled. Then his mouth descended on hers.  
  
*****  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Herein ends the fic. So, are they engaged? Are they not engaged? How did Kagome like that kiss? This short little fanfic was brought to you in part by EMSiT productions, home of the really nasty, evil cliffhanger.  
  
Bwhahahaha..... 


End file.
